Hermon Atkins MacNeil Plaster Cast & 1895 Navajo Bear Claw Necklace

For your
consideration
are two extremely rare pieces of art that originated from the Hermon Atkins MacNeil estate, a prominent and well-recognized American sculpture and artist. The accompanying provenance and correspondence identifies the small plaster cast entitled Apache Papoose as an authentic work by Hermon Atkins MacNeil. The other piece, a circa 1895 necklace of probable Navajo origin made of bear claws and seed beads strung on sections of wire, was purportedly worn by the model that posed for Mr. MacNeil’s sculpture, Navajo Orator.
There is pertinent information in the correspondence and notes that pertain to the last known owners of the pieces, Mr. and Mrs. Raymond C. Wiggins, Overland Park, KS. Mr. Wiggins purchased the pieces from Mrs. Beatrice Ek, widow of Frederick Ek, an associate editor of “Who’s Who in America”. Mr. Wiggins acquired the pieces in 1968 at the time he purchased Mrs. Ek’s real estate in Riverdale, IL. In a notation dated August 1976, the second Mrs. MacNeil confirmed that she gave both items to the Eks as gifts.
As it relates to the Apache Papoose, Mr. Wiggins stated in a letter to Christie’s Auction House, New York it was, “a plaster made by Hermon Atkins MacNeil while at H.D. Loeb Statuary Chicago”. The company’s mark is found on the front and back of the item along with the artist’s signature. The plaster measures approximately 7” x 5-3/4” with the year date of 1892 in roman numerals on the front. Mr. Wiggins notes on the back of one of the photographs submitted to Christie’s that the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Fine Art, Kansas City, MO authenticated Apache Papoose as a work by Hermon Atkins MacNeil; Christie’s auction specialist concurred it was “absolutely authentic”.
On July 17, 1976, Mrs. Cecilia MacNeil (MacNeil’s widow) responds to Mrs. Wiggins inquiry regarding the location of Navajo Orator. Although Mrs. MacNeil states she did not know its location, she offered some history: “Hermon made the original plasters while living on an Indian Reservation with two companions, one a writer and the other a painter. This was after his stay at Cornell where he taught art for three years.” According to an online biography, Mrs. MacNeil was likely referring to Hermon’s travels in the summer of 1895 accompanied by Hamlin Garland (writer) and C.F. Browne (painter) when he traveled to the Navajo and Hopi (Moqui) tribes. While there, he sculptured the likeness of Chief Manuelito. Wiggins correspondence to Christie’s stated that the twenty-six-inch necklace was, “a gift from the Navajo model (name unknown) to Mr. MacNeil and subsequently Mrs. MacNeil to the Eks”. I have attached the published image of “Navajo Orator” with the Native American wearing the necklace. We know the location of this sculpture.
Timeline of Documents
1968: Raymond Wiggins, of Overland Park, KS purchased the Apache Papoose and a necklace consisting of beads, seeds, and bear claws from Mrs. Beatrice Ek, the widow of Frederick Ek when he purchased her property in Riverdale, Illinois. Mr. Ek was an associate editor of Who’s Who in America.
The necklace was worn by the Navajo that modeled for the sculpture entitled, Navajo Orator. Per Wiggins, this sculpture and accompanying story was a featured article in the Antique Journal, April 1974. The necklace was a gift to Hermon and his first wife and subsequently given to the Eks by Cecilia MacNeil, Hermon’s second wife.
In the illustrated Catalogue of the Post Exposition Exhibition in the Department of Fine Arts, Panama Pacific International Exposition, San Francisco, 1915, this sculpture is mentioned as having been on display on page 54.
July 16, 1976: In answer to Mrs. R.G. Wiggins inquiry regarding the location of the statue, Navajo Orator, Cecilia MacNeil, widow of Herman MacNeil writes, “Herman made the original plasters while living on an Indian Reservation with two companions, one a writer and the other a painter. This was after his stay at Cornell where he taught art for three years.” According to the website dedicated to Hermon MacNeil, Mrs. MacNeil must have been referring to the following information in his biography:
In the summer of 1895, along with Hamlin Garland (a writer) and C. F. Browne (a painter), [MacNeil] traveled to the four-corners territories (now, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah) seeing American Indians (Navajo and Moqui – now Hopi) in their changing cultural element on various reservations. While there, he was asked to sculpt, out of available materials, a likeness of Chief Manuelito. The Navajo warrior had died in despair after being imprisoned for four years as a renegade by the U.S. Government (Col. Kit Carson) twenty-five years earlier. Manuelito’s likeness, made of available materials, brought tears to his widow’s eyes, and remains an object of cultural pride in Gallup, New Mexico to this day.
July 30, 1976: Mrs. Ruth Burns, a certified appraiser in Fairway, Kansas advises the Wiggins’ that the sculpture, Navajo Orator may be in the Heard Museum, Phoenix AZ. (We have since discovered that information was incorrect. We know the location of the sculpture).
August 1976: Per a handwritten note dated August 1976, Mrs. Wiggins writes that Mrs. MacNeil confirms that the Apache Papoose and the beads the model wore during the sculpturing of Navajo Orator were given to Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Ek.
November 9, 1988: Wiggins sent a letter with accompanying photographs of both pieces to Christie’s New York requesting consignment to their next available auction. In the letter, he states that the Apache Papoose was made by Hermon Atkins MacNeil at H.D. Loeb Statuary in Chicago while still a student. The roman numerals mentioned by Wiggins translates to the year date of 1892. Wiggins mentions an article from the April 1974 Antique Journal as an enclosure along with other documents. This features a published photograph of The Navajo Orator on the cover.
December 7, 1988: Wiggins received an authentication from Christie’s, New York: “I feel that the plaster head of Apache Papoose would fetch only $400-$600 at auction. Therefore, although an absolutely authentic piece by a noted American sculptor, it would not be suitable for inclusion in a sale at Christie’s”.
Other information: Written on the back of the photograph of the Apache Papoose, “Made by Hermon Atkins MacNeil when student at H.D. Loeb Statuary – Chicago. Nelson Atkins Museum of Fine Art, Kansas City, MO confirms authentic. He states here that the statue, Navajo Orator is at the Heard Museum. We have learned that information was incorrect. We know the location of this sculpture.
Condition: Plaster Cast: some little tiny white spots where the finish wore off. There is a small rough area on the back where the hook was inserted. As you can see in the images of the necklace, there is wear and rough areas on the bear claws
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Feel free to ask any questions. If anyone knows who did this quality work or has an opinion I would appreciate the opinion of who did this.
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